Hüsker Dü and R.E.M. were the two American post-punk bands of the '80s that changed the direction of rock & roll. R.E.M. became superstars; Hüsker Dü never was more than a cult favorite. Nevertheless, their albums between 1981 and 1987 have proven remarkably influential; they provided the sonic blueprint for the roaring punk-pop hybrid that... [+] Read More

Hüsker Dü and R.E.M. were the two American post-punk bands of the '80s that changed the direction of rock & roll. R.E.M. became superstars; Hüsker Dü never was more than a cult favorite. Nevertheless, their albums between 1981 and 1987 have proven remarkably influential; they provided the sonic blueprint for the roaring punk-pop hybrid that crossed over into the mainstream in the early '90s. Not only did they shape the sound of the music, they shaped the way independent bands made the transition to the major labels; they showed other bands that it was possible to record uncompromising music on a major label without losing any integrity or creative control. From the Replacements to Nirvana, the Pixies to Superchunk, nearly every major and minor band that appeared in the alternative underground in the late '80s and '90s owed a major debt to Hüsker Dü, whether they were aware of it or not.

The band's two songwriters, guitarist Bob Mould and drummer Grant Hart, both had a knack for writing songs that essentially followed conventional pop structures, complete with memorable melodies, but were still punk songs. Hüsker Dü took the Buzzcocks' pioneering punk-pop and made it harder, both musically and lyrically. Throughout their career, Hüsker Dü never lost their edge, never turned down their amplifiers, never compromised their music. While Hart and bassist Greg Norton were an unfailingly strong rhythm section, Mould would prove to be one of the most influential guitarists of the decade. With his slashing rhythms, distorted strumming, and blazing leads, he set the stage for the alternative guitar heroes of the late '80s and the '90s.

Hüsker Dü formed in Minneapolis, MN, in 1979. Guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould was studying at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, and working at a record store, which is where he met drummer/vocalist Grant Hart and bassist Greg Norton. The three musicians had diverse tastes, but all shared a love for hardcore punk rock. Naming themselves Hüsker Dü after a '50s Danish board game (the name means "do you remember?"), the trio began rehearsing in Norton's basement.

In the early '80s, Hüsker Dü developed a strong local following; nearly every local band, from the Replacements to Soul Asylum, sounded like the Hüskers. Both Mould and Hart wrote songs and sang lead. In 1981, they released their first single, "Statues," on the local label Reflex, which was quickly followed by their debut album, Land Speed Record, which was released on New Alliance Records. Recorded live, Land Speed Record boasted 17 songs that lasted a full 26 minutes. Later that year, they released an equally fast and hard EP, In a Free Land.

In 1982, they moved backed to Reflex, where they released Everything Falls Apart, their first album recorded in a studio. By this time, Hüsker Dü had begun touring the United States relentlessly, traveling across the country in a van and playing small clubs throughout the country. Along with the Minutemen, R.E.M., Black Flag, the Meat Puppets, and the Replacements, Hüsker Dü formed the core of a group of independent rock & roll bands that carved out a reputation by touring ceaselessly and getting their records played through college radio stations; they formed the core of the American rock underground in the mid-'80s. Hüsker Dü concerts were a nonstop barrage; the band rarely spoke to the audience and each song segued directly into the next, without interruption. In addition to touring constantly, Hüsker Dü was recording quickly, turning out the Metal Circus EP in 1983.

After Metal Circus, Hüsker Dü developed musically at a rapid pace, with Mould and Hart coming into their own as songwriters on 1984's Zen Arcade, their first album for SST Records and their critical breakthrough. Zen Arcade was a double album -- something that was completely unheard of in the underground -- that showed the band stretching out musically, writing sharper pop songs, as well as lengthy abrasive instrumentals. Critics embraced the record, as did independent rock fans. At the end of 1984, they released "Eight Miles High," a cover of the Byrds' song that was only available as a single.

Hüsker Dü continued to record and tour at a blindingly fast speed throughout 1984 and 1985. Mould and Hart were beginning to develop an unspoken rivalry, as well as a dependency on alcohol and speed. Nevertheless, the group was at their peak in 1985, turning out two albums. The first, New Day Rising, was released in the spring and showed the band moving closer to concise pop songwriting while accentuating their fierce sonic barrage. Flip Your Wig, released late in 1985, featured their cleanest, most accessible production, without making any concessions to mainstream rock. Both albums received excellent reviews, both in fanzines and some mainstream rock publications.

Following the release of Flip Your Wig, Hüsker Dü became the first of the mid-'80s independent post-punk bands to sign a contract with a major label, as they closed a deal with Warner Bros. Candy Apple Grey, the band's first major-label album, appeared in 1986. During that year, tensions between Bob Mould and Grant Hart escalated. Mould began to clean up and Hart continued to sink further into drug and alcohol addiction. Nevertheless, they managed to write and record another double album, Warehouse: Songs and Stories. Although Warner didn't want the band to release another double record, Warehouse was released in the spring of 1987, to uniformly positive reviews.

Hüsker Dü was preparing to launch a series of concerts to support Warehouse when their manager, David Savoy, committed suicide the night before the start of the tour. Hüsker played the tour anyway -- they ran through the new album in order every night, without interruption -- but Savoy's suicide helped the inter-band turmoil reach a peak. Hart showed no signs of sobering -- he was developing a heroin addiction -- while Mould was clean. Following the Warehouse tour, the band played no more concerts for the rest of the year, which caused speculation that the group was breaking up. Those rumors were confirmed in January of 1988, when Hart was fired and the band broke up.

Hart would released a solo EP, 2541, on SST later that year, followed by a full-length album called Intolerance a year later. After its release, Hart shook loose his addictions and formed a new band, Nova Mob. Nova Mob released their debut album, The Last Days of Pompeii, in 1991; a self-titled second album appeared in 1994. Greg Norton became a chef in Red Wing.

Immediately after the breakup of Hüsker Dü, Bob Mould embarked on a solo career. After releasing two solo albums -- Workbook (1989) and Black Sheets of Rain (1990) -- he formed a trio called Sugar in 1992. Between 1992 and 1994, Sugar released two albums -- Copper Blue (1992) and File Under: Easy Listening (1994). Mould broke up the band in 1995 and returned to a solo career the following year. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

They came, they saw, and they conquered -- sort of. Never topping the charts, nor possessing a huge following, San Francisco's Flipper, even in the '90s alt-rock sweepstakes, would still be considered a fringe act. But, in 1982, they were the toast of rock critics across the country with their post-hardcore punk masterpiece "Sex Bomb." Clocking... [+] Read More

They came, they saw, and they conquered -- sort of. Never topping the charts, nor possessing a huge following, San Francisco's Flipper, even in the '90s alt-rock sweepstakes, would still be considered a fringe act. But, in 1982, they were the toast of rock critics across the country with their post-hardcore punk masterpiece "Sex Bomb." Clocking in at over seven minutes, possessing one riff played over and over (and sloppier and sloppier), with vocalist Will Shatter screaming rather than singing (total lyrics: "She's a sex bomb/My baby/yeah"), it was a remarkable record: loud, proud, defiantly obnoxious, and relentlessly dumb. But in it's own gleeful and intentionally moronic way it was (and remains) a perfect record.

With "Sex Bomb" providing the impetus, Shatter and fellow Flippers, vocalist/bassist Bruce Loose, drummer Steve DePace, and guitarist Ted Falconi, emerged from the fractious muck of the California hardcore punk scene (Shatter and DePace played in the Bay Area hardcore band Negative Trend in the late '70s) with a crushingly loud, slowed-down sound that resembled the Stooges at their most drug-addled (see "We Will Fall" from the first Stooges LP). Flipper didn't care if you loved or loathed them (most everyone loathed them), they simply played until you couldn't stand it anymore. There was something wonderfully uncomplicated about this attitude, which is probably the reason that Flipper, despite being seen as a one-shot band, had a career that lasted longer than 15 minutes.

Their debut album, Album -- Generic Flipper, included "Sex Bomb" along with a handful of good-to-great songs about anonymity and desperation that were not all-bleak, nor without moments of humor. In fact, Flipper may have been the first hardcore/post-hardcore band to essay life-affirming messages on its album (no matter how tongue-in-cheek it might sound). So, although there's a track called "Life Is Cheap," there is also "Life" which offers the sentiment: "I too have sung death's praises/But I'm not gonna sing that song anymore." Adding the oft-stated sentiment, "Life is the only thing worth living for." Hmmm. How, uh, un-punk.

With much of the rock press singing their praises (and deservedly so), Flipper went on to demi-celebrity status as the reigning kings of American underground rock, for a few years. They never released anything as mind-blowingly good as Album, but until they split up in 1987, the music was usually very good. Precipitating their breakup was Shatter's death from a heroin overdose, with the remaining members spending the next half-dozen years stepping in-and-out of music. In 1992, Flipper fan and American Recordings label honcho Rick Rubin encouraged the remaining members to record a new album. The subsequent effort, American Grafishy, only hinted at their greatness. Their comeback attempt notwithstanding, Flipper's greatness lies in their ability to say "let's rock our way." ~ John Dougan, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Genuinely shocking or tasteless, campy fun? It was sometimes hard to tell which way the Misfits wanted to be taken, and the immense cult following that has grown up in the years after their actual existence (1977-1983) seems divided in its own assessment. It certainly wasn't the Misfits' musicianship -- which was as crude as the recording... [+] Read More

Genuinely shocking or tasteless, campy fun? It was sometimes hard to tell which way the Misfits wanted to be taken, and the immense cult following that has grown up in the years after their actual existence (1977-1983) seems divided in its own assessment. It certainly wasn't the Misfits' musicianship -- which was as crude as the recording quality of most of their oeuvre -- that endeared them to so many, although Glenn Danzig possessed one of the most distinctive and tuneful bellows in hardcore punk. Rather, it was Danzig's penchant for catchy, anthemic melodies, often delivered at warp speed, and his lyrical obsession with grade-B horror films and splatter imagery that helped the Misfits build a rabid posthumous following. Name-drops and covers by metal bands like Metallica and Guns N' Roses kept the Misfits' songs circulating during the mid- to late '80s, when their tangled discography remained only sporadically in print -- reissues were maddeningly incomplete, and much of the band's prime material was confined to rare singles and EPs. The mid-'90s saw a spate of CD reissues that, while not quite presenting all of the Misfits' songs in the most concise, collectible format, at least succeeded in getting them all back into print, allowing those who missed the band the first time around to hear why they've enjoyed such enduring cult popularity.

The Misfits were formed in Lodi, NJ, in 1977 by vocalist Glenn Danzig and bassist Jerry Caiafa, who performed under the name Jerry Only. Their name taken from Marilyn Monroe's final film, the Misfits added drummer Manny and recorded a guitar-less single, "Cough Cool" b/w "She," on their own Blank Records label (later changed to Plan 9). Manny was soon replaced by "Mr. Jim" Catania, and guitarist Frank "Franché Coma" LiCata joined up for the four-song 1978 EP Bullet, which featured a notoriously graphic image of John F. Kennedy being shot. Although recording sessions had been held for a full-length album, to be titled Static Age, no record company would accept the results, and whatever material was not subsequently issued on EPs languished in the vaults until the 1985 compilation Legacy of Brutality. The Misfits began playing shows at CBGB's and attempted to obtain some greater musical stability with the addition of Whorelords guitarist Bobby Steele and drummer Joey Image. This lineup recorded the three-song EPs Horror Business and Night of the Living Dead in 1979, the latter being released on Halloween. An aborted tour of the U.K. supporting the Damned followed, and a frustrated Joey Image quit the band after Danzig was arrested in a bar skirmish. Things had not been going well with Steele, either, and upon returning to the States, Steele was ousted in favor of Jerry Only's younger brother Doyle (born Paul Caiafa; sometimes known as Doyle von Frankenstein). Arthur Googy became the full-time drummer, while Steele went on to form the Undead. England's Cherry Red label issued the legendary Beware EP in 1980, which contained Bullet, two tracks from Horror Business, and the Static Age outtake "Last Caress"; it became a ludicrously expensive collector's item in the years that followed.

Back in the States, more single releases followed over 1981, including the Three Hits From Hell 7" and another Halloween single, this one titled "Halloween" and containing two versions of the song, one a low-budget attempt at creating a spooky ambience. Another full-length LP had been recorded under the title Walk Among Us and was scheduled for release in late 1981, but a larger distribution deal was worked out with the Slash subsidiary Ruby. In 1982, the Misfits finally released their official debut album under the planned title, which proved one of the finest additions to their discography. Googy left the band around this time in a dispute over money, throwing off plans to record a follow-up; in the meantime, the live EP Evilive was released later in the year, featuring a guest appearance by Black Flag's Henry Rollins. Future Samhain and Danzig bassist Eerie Von Stellman was nearly recruited to play drums, but lasted only a weekend; eventually, punk producer Robo was settled upon as skinsman, and the Misfits spent the rest of the year and the first half of 1983 recording Earth A.D./Wolfsblood, an album that tried to play up the more aggressive aspects of the band's music. Brian Damage was chosen as Robo's touring successor, but barely got a chance to perform before Danzig disbanded the Misfits in late 1983. A farewell single, the three-song "Die Die My Darling," was issued in 1984.

Danzig, who had issued the solo single "Who Killed Marilyn?" in 1981, immediately formed Samhain with Eerie Von in an attempt to pursue a more frightening musical direction to support his lyrics; Samhain eventually metamorphosed into the much more successful Danzig. The Caiafa brothers, meanwhile, formed Kryst the Conqueror, which managed only one five-song EP release. Misfits compilations began appearing as soon as 1985 on Caroline (Legacy of Brutality); 1987's Misfits compilation began whetting appetites for the large quantity of material that remained out of print, although Metallica's version of "Last Caress" and, later, Guns N' Roses' cover of "Attitude" hinted at what might be discovered. More compilations, as well as a four-disc box set, followed in the mid-'90s, as the Misfits' cult continued to expand.

In an attempt to cash in on the renewed interest, Jerry Only and Doyle re-formed the Misfits in 1996 -- without Danzig, instead recruiting vocalist Michale Graves and drummer Dr. Chud. American Psycho appeared in 1997 on Geffen Records, followed two years later by Famous Monsters. In 2001 that lineup issued the rarities/outtakes collection Cuts from the Crypt; it contained nothing from the Danzig era. The covers album Project 1950 followed in 2003. By this point the Misfit lineup included Jerry Only on vocals and bass, Black Flag vet Dez Cadena on guitar, and Marky Ramone behind the drums. In June 2005 Misfits Records (via Ryko) released Fiend Club Lounge, a collection of Misfits classics redone in a "cocktail nation" style. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

If history is kind to Fugazi, their records won't be overshadowed by their reputation and methods of operation. Instead of being known for their community activism, five-dollar shows, ten-dollar CDs, resistance to mainstream outlets, and the laughably fictitious folklore surrounding their lifestyle, they will instead be identified as setting a... [+] Read More

If history is kind to Fugazi, their records won't be overshadowed by their reputation and methods of operation. Instead of being known for their community activism, five-dollar shows, ten-dollar CDs, resistance to mainstream outlets, and the laughably fictitious folklore surrounding their lifestyle, they will instead be identified as setting a high bar for artistic excellence that is frequently aimed for but seldom achieved with great frequency. During their existence, the four-piece created some of the most intelligent, invigorating, and undeniably musical post-hardcore rock & roll. Along with their stridently underground ethics -- which were more out of pragmatism and modesty than anything else -- they gained an extremely loyal and numerous global following. To many, Fugazi meant as much to them as Bob Dylan did to their parents. Somewhat better to look at, perhaps, and certainly more accessible, but just as commanding of attention and adoration. More than anything, Fugazi inspired; they showed that art can prevail over commerce.

Drummer Brendan Canty, bassist Joe Lally, and guitarists/vocalists Ian MacKaye, and Guy Picciotto formed Fugazi in 1987. Initially a trio, Picciotto was added to the lineup after the band's first live shows. Prior to forming, the members already had deep pedigrees in the D.C. punk scene. Dischord labelhead MacKaye, who had previously been in the Teen Idles and Minor Threat, had just come from Embrace. For better or worse, Embrace, along with Picciotto and Canty's better Rites of Spring, kick-started the emocore sub-genre that would rise to prominence ten years later.

After further honing their cathartic live act and expanding their material, their first EP (Fugazi) was released in late 1988. More of an extension of Rites of Spring's thick, dynamic, varied-tempo soul-bearing than anything else, the EP featured "Suggestion," which would become the band's most well-known song. Though the course of rock history shows that loud music created by angry men tends to be of a predatory nature, "Suggestion" was an anomaly. MacKaye spoke from the female point of view, railing with frustration at how their sex is objectified. Not hampering the song's status as one of the most recognized chunks of late-'80s post-hardcore was its catchy, vaguely reggae-influenced rhythms and searing guitars.

The similarly veined Margin Walker EP followed the next year and was later coupled with Fugazi on CD as 13 Songs. Though suffering slightly from lyrical shortcomings (MacKaye and Picciotto grandstand too much), 1990's full-length debut Repeater is generally regarded as a classic. Toughening and refining the band's shockingly propulsive lockstep dynamics (see "Repeater" and "Styrofoam"), it still left several critics and a few fans wondering if the band was becoming a one-trick pony. A year later, the cynics were proven wrong with Steady Diet of Nothing, clearly the band's most challenging material to date. Branching out lyrically and limiting the finger pointing, Steady Diet also varied from its predecessors with more imaginative arrangements and less visceral qualities. Two years passed until In on the Killtaker, the band's most abrasively black-and-white record. With scabous guitars and extended stretches of discordance, some of the songs were among the band's most aggressive and angular.

At this point, the band's reputation for political correctness got a little out of hand. Word of mouth and touring was providing more new fans than ever, which was good and bad. Fugazi's energetic shows became the stuff of legend, known for the level of emotional release and Picciotto's wild stage antics as much as the band's anti-moshing stance. With the rise of the band's popularity, the venues got bigger and the ignorant crowd behavior became harder to control. There were loads of irony in clusters of bare-chested young men throwing themselves around and injuring others while the band played their often anti-violent material. MacKaye would often stop the band mid-song to calm the crowd down, occasionally offering troublemakers their money back to leave the venue.

Since the band didn't do interviews with major publications, some journalists were left to improvise and opted to take creative license. The rumor mill amongst the fan base was equally imaginative. In fact, some concertgoers might have been surprised to see the band pull up to venues in a van, not arriving by a convoy of camels. Those who spoke with bandmembers were surprised to hear that they lived in houses -- not monasteries -- with running furnaces and that their diets weren't strictly rice-based. Worse yet, the band gained a reputation for not having a sense of humor. Their records never kicked out the yucks (they weren't Ween, after all), but this was probably the most unwarranted myth of all. Those who were resourceful enough to find interviews with the band in small fanzines might have been shocked to read that MacKaye was influence by Ted Nugent as much as Jimi Hendrix. Now that takes a sense of humor.

As the increasing responsibilities of adulthood and outside musical involvements increased, Fugazi's recordings and tours became more sporadic. Red Medicine was released another two years after In on the Killtaker, chipping away some of the latter's abrasion in favor of more jam-oriented experiments. It certainly wasn't a wholesale junking of the band's early sound, but more a matter of wanting to do things differently. They still sounded like Fugazi, but they weren't painting themselves into a corner, either. The even wilder End Hits came in 1998, amidst rumors of the band being put to rest. Eschewing the notion, more choppy touring in support of the record continued throughout the year. In 1999, the Instrument video and soundtrack hit the shelves. The result of several years spent working on a proper Fugazi documentary, friend Jem Cohen assembled a lengthy homage to the fab four, including live performances and interviews. The soundtrack featured demos, jams, and incidental cutting room scraps, still forming an enjoyable listen that focused on the band's instrumental talents. 2001 saw release of the band's sixth proper LP, The Argument, which was simultaneously issued with the three-song Furniture EP. Outside of Fugazi, both MacKaye and Picciotto helped other bands with production. MacKaye continued to operate Dischord, and Lally began his own label, Tolotta. Picciotto also ventured into filmmaking. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide [-] Hide

More than any other hardcore band, the Minutemen epitomized the free-thinking independent ideals that formed the core of punk/alternative music. Wildy eclectic and politically revolutionary, the Minutemen never stayed in one place too long; they moved from punk to free jazz to funk to folk at a blinding speed. And they toured and recorded at... [+] Read More

More than any other hardcore band, the Minutemen epitomized the free-thinking independent ideals that formed the core of punk/alternative music. Wildy eclectic and politically revolutionary, the Minutemen never stayed in one place too long; they moved from punk to free jazz to funk to folk at a blinding speed. And they toured and recorded at blinding speed; during the early '80s, they were constantly on the road, turning out records whenever they had a chance. Like their peers Black Flag, Hüsker Dü, R.E.M., Sonic Youth, and the Meat Puppets, the Minutemen built a large, dedicated cult following throughout the United States through their relentless touring. Like their fellow American indie bands, the trio was poised to break into the world of major labels in 1986, and they would have if it wasn't for the tragic death of guitarist/vocalist D. Boon in December of 1985. Even though bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley carried on with fIREHOSE in the late '80s, the legacy of the Minutemen overshadowed the new band in the late '80s and early '90s, as the San Pedro trio influenced several generations of musicians.

D. Boon and Mike Watt began playing music when they were teenagers in the mid-'70s, covering '70s hard rock standards. After they graduated from high school in 1976, they heard their first punk rock records, which marked a significant change in their musical development. Once Boon and Watt heard punk, they began writing their own songs and decided to form their first full-fledged rock & roll band. In 1980, the pair assembled a quartet called the Reactionaries, which featured drummer Frank Tonche and a second guitarist. Within a few months, their second guitarist left and the band changed their name to the Minutemen, since most of their songs were not much longer than a minute in duration. They recorded one single with Tonche before he was replaced by George Hurley. After Hurley joined the band, the Minutemen recorded Paranoid Time, their first EP; the record was released on SST Records in 1981. From the start, the band was eclectic and political, but they didn't find their voice until their first full-length album, 1981's The Punch Line.

Following the release of The Punch Line, the Minutemen embarked on a punishing touring schedule, driving across America and playing any city where they could get a gig. They were recording frequently, too. All of their major records appeared on SST Records, but they also issued selected tracks and EPs for other independent labels, beginning with 1982's Bean-Spill EP, which appeared on Thermidor Records. The band's second full-length album, 1983's What Makes a Man Start Fires?, earned them considerable critical acclaim throughout the underground and alternative press. Later in 1983, they released their third album, Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat.

By the end of 1983, the Minutemen had become one of the most popular bands in the American underground, a status they only built upon during 1984. That year, they delivered the double album Double Nickels on the Dime. The length of the album was a response to Hüsker Dü's 1984 double album Zen Arcade, but the expanded length gave the group an opportunity to stretch out and showcase their increasing musical depth and vision. Double Nickels on the Dime was a considerable underground hit, earning substantial college radio play and critical praise; many critics named it one of the best albums of the year. Also in 1984, the band released a collection of outtakes and unreleased material called The Politics of Time on New Alliance Records.

Throughout 1985, the Minutemen churned out recordings, beginning with the Tour-Spiel EP on Reflex Records. It was followed by the cassette-only retrospective My First Bells, which was released on SST. After My First Bells, the group issued another EP, Project Mersh, which featured covers of "commercial" arena rock bands plus several long original "spiels." Around the same time, the group recorded the Minuteflag EP, a one-off collaboration with Black Flag. Finally, the Minutemen released the full-length follow-up to Double Nickels on the Dime, 3-Way Tie (For Last), toward the end of the year. Like its predecessor, 3-Way Tie (For Last) received overwhelming positive reviews, including notices in mainstream publications.

In December of 1985, D. Boon and his girlfriend were driving home from one of her relatives' house, when they suffered a fatal automobile accident. For the first part of 1986, Mike Watt and George Hurley were trying to decide whether they would continue playing music. During this time, the live Ballot Result was compiled and released. After a few months, both Watt and Hurley had decided to quit music when they were convinced to continue playing by a passionate Minutemen fan and guitarist called Ed Crawford. Watt, Hurley, and Crawford formed fIREHOSE in 1986 and later in the year, the new band released their debut album, Ragin', Full-On. fIREHOSE toured and recorded for the next seven years, signing with the major label Columbia in 1991. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

From its onset, the tube-crunch surf guitar into of "Rat Patrol," Throb Throb sizzles like grease in a frying pan until it comes to a halt some thirty minutes later. Like the tank on its cover, Throb is largely informed by an antagonism that rails against the Reaganism that helped spawn intelligent Eighties post-punk groups much like Naked... [+] Read More

From its onset, the tube-crunch surf guitar into of "Rat Patrol," Throb Throb sizzles like grease in a frying pan until it comes to a halt some thirty minutes later. Like the tank on its cover, Throb is largely informed by an antagonism that rails against the Reaganism that helped spawn intelligent Eighties post-punk groups much like Naked Raygun. Titles like "Surf Combat," a song about the effects of napalm at popular beaches, "Gear," a braggadocio commentary about nuclear weapons and the arms race, and "Managua," in which troops march to their impending death, exemplify Throb's political mentality and musical gravity, which are a direct result of the Eighties' Cold War. Naked Raygun sends the songs up with a sense-raping frazzle and dissonance. While not as furious as Husker Du or as angry as The Misfits, Throb is no less vehement, and ever the more working-class. With understandable lyrics everyone can understand and chant, and a plethora of race-against-time guitar melodies, Throb is rare in that it appeals to academics as well as rednecks, straight-shooters as well as in-the-know punks. Borrowing from the big-guitar sound of English heavy metal bands like Iron Maiden and carving catchy melodies usually reserved for Top 40 pop songs into firebrands like "I Don't Know" and "Libido," Naked Raygun assure Throb's place as a classic that is forever ahead of its time, regardless of when it is heard. The Quarterstick reissue of Throb comes with a booklet that contains rare photos of the band, concert setlists, and two short tributary essays. A shortened version of "Libido" is the reissue's only bonus track. ~ Bob Gendron, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The Minutemen had already come up with a sound as distinctive as anything to come out of the American punk underground -- lean, fractured, and urgent -- with their debut album, 1981's The Punch Line. But on their second (relatively) long-player, What Makes a Man Start Fires?, the three dudes from Pedro opted to slow down their tempos a bit, and... [+] Read More

The Minutemen had already come up with a sound as distinctive as anything to come out of the American punk underground -- lean, fractured, and urgent -- with their debut album, 1981's The Punch Line. But on their second (relatively) long-player, What Makes a Man Start Fires?, the three dudes from Pedro opted to slow down their tempos a bit, and something remarkable happened -- the Minutemen revealed that they were writing really great songs, with a remarkable degree of stylistic diversity. If you were looking for three-chord blast, the Minutemen were still capable of delivering, as the opening cut proved (the hyper-anthemic "Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs"), but there was just as much churning, minimalistic funk as punk bile in their sound (bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley were already a strikingly powerful and imaginative rhythm section), and D. Boon's guitar solos were the work of a man who could say a lot musically in a very short space of time. Leaping with confidence and agility between loud rants ("Split Red"), troubled meditations ("Plight"), and plainspoken addresses on the state of the world ("Mutiny in Jonestown"), the Minutemen were showing a maturity of vision that far outstripped most of their contemporaries and a musical intelligence that blended a startling sophistication with a street kid's passion for fast-and-loud. It says a lot about the Minutemen's growth that The Punch Line sounded like a great punk album, but a year later What Makes a Man Start Fires? sounded like a great album -- period. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The Misfits' 1982 debut full-length, Walk Among Us, rapidly became a legendary effort of U.S. punk, the more so because it so willfully violated many rules which were already ironically straitjacketing the scene. Utterly devoid of political confrontation or social uplift, embracing a costume sense that might have given Kiss pause and generally... [+] Read More

The Misfits' 1982 debut full-length, Walk Among Us, rapidly became a legendary effort of U.S. punk, the more so because it so willfully violated many rules which were already ironically straitjacketing the scene. Utterly devoid of political confrontation or social uplift, embracing a costume sense that might have given Kiss pause and generally coming across like the horror-movie nightmares they looked like on the cover, the Misfits just wanted to entertain and do their own thing -- and that they did, brilliantly. Nearly every song on the album -- 13 total, delivered in a light-speed 25 minutes -- is a twisted classic, with the band's trademark '50s/'60s melodies run through a punk/metal meatgrinder on full display. The higher-budget (in very relative terms) recording meant a slightly cleaner and brighter sound all around, but nothing about Walk Among Us is slick, especially in commercial 1982 terms. One song title says it all: "All Hell Breaks Loose." Danzig's gift for creepy, strong, and attractively dark singing was long since established and he uses it brilliantly, making the over-the-top lyrics all the more enjoyable, while Doyle, Jerry Only, and Arthur Googy kick out the jams on Danzig's songs big time -- check out "Hatebreeders," "Violent World," and the crazed "Skulls." Everything ends with the giddily ridiculous "Braineaters," in which the chanting voices of the band bemoan their constant diet of cerebella and ask for intestines instead, but the real freaked-out highlight comes smack dab in the middle with "Mommy Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight." Taken from the show that made up the Evilive release, it starts out on the edge and, after Danzig delivers the title sans instruments, turns into an explosion of rhythm and feedback that should have killed everything within 50 feet of the amps. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide [-] Hide

A tremendous collection of early Bad Religion that covers most of their hardcore and early post-hardcore period, including their debut record, How Could Hell Be Any Worse? Greg Graffin's snarl is prominently displayed, and the band rages through this anthology's 28 tracks, which include three takes of their signature theme, "Bad Religion." Lots... [+] Read More

A tremendous collection of early Bad Religion that covers most of their hardcore and early post-hardcore period, including their debut record, How Could Hell Be Any Worse? Greg Graffin's snarl is prominently displayed, and the band rages through this anthology's 28 tracks, which include three takes of their signature theme, "Bad Religion." Lots of tracks are suffused with a quasi-liberal, populist message (e.g., "Politics," "World War III," and "Oligarchy") and are more lyrically sophisticated than one might assume. An excellent introduction. ~ John Dougan, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Purists may disagree, but for the benighted, The Misfits is the best place to start -- a 20-track anthology that gives you the most Misfits for your money. Everything that made the Misfits great is here, including the odd remix, alternate take, and re-edited version. The band is loud and defiant, as is Glenn Danzig, whose considerable vocal... [+] Read More

Purists may disagree, but for the benighted, The Misfits is the best place to start -- a 20-track anthology that gives you the most Misfits for your money. Everything that made the Misfits great is here, including the odd remix, alternate take, and re-edited version. The band is loud and defiant, as is Glenn Danzig, whose considerable vocal chops are well displayed here. The perfect music for an evening of headbanging or watching gore films. Collectors who don't want to invest in the box set should note that this is also the only place to get "London Dungeon" and "Ghouls' Night Out," the B-sides of the "Night of the Living Dead" single. ~ John Dougan, All Music Guide [-] Hide